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COMMENTARY / World
Aug 10, 2016

Poor prospects for Russia's flirtation with fascism

Western powers need not undermine or destroy Putin's Russia; they simply need to outlive it.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 31, 2016

'Helicopter money' talk takes flight as Bank of Japan runs out of runway

The BOJ's review of its monetary stimulus program revived expectations it could adopt some form of 'helicopter money,' printing money for government spending to spur inflation.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 31, 2016

BayStars president Ikeda building brighter future for team

First in a two-part series
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 30, 2016

Bushido: Soseki, 'Star Wars' and the samurai

In September 1912, Gen. Maresuke Nogi — a hero of the Russo-Japanese War — committed ritual suicide. His sensational death took place on the day of Emperor Meiji's funeral, making it an act of junshi (following one's lord in death) and a high-water mark for the samurai code in the modern era.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 28, 2016

Philippines sets the ball rolling for federal system

The Philippines is paving the way to shift to a federal form of government by 2022, after President Rodrigo Duterte agreed with the leaders of Congress to set up a body to amend the constitution, the speaker of the house said on Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 25, 2016

The death of Turkish secularism

Will President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continue to pursue his authoritarian path or will he reach out to his opponents and attempt to bridge the deep fissures in Turkish society?
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 23, 2016

Wandering the 'real Japan': Following the far-north footsteps of Alan Booth

Renowned travel writer Bruce Chatwin believed passionately in the importance of walking in the wild. The problems of humanity, he contended, were borne out of people being settled and static.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 23, 2016

Clinton's pick of Kaine for running mate signals pivot to center for election

Hillary Clinton named Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate for the Democratic presidential ticket, a widely anticipated choice that may say more about how she wants to govern than how she plans to win in November.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Art
Jul 19, 2016

Spooky beasts keep haunting Japan's art

Seething masses of people crushed together in searing heat; empty-eyed wraiths, heads drooping in despair, shuffling to and fro — waiting for the time when they will be released their suffering. Tokyo can be hell in July and August. It isn't all bad though; there's an excellent exhibition on yōkai,...
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink / JAPANESE KITCHEN
Jul 15, 2016

'Yamaimo': Japan's slimy mountain yam

Japanese have a fondness for slippery, slimy food that people from other food cultures often find puzzling. Sticky nattō (fermented soy beans), mozuku and tororo konbu (two kinds of slimy seaweeds) may take some getting used to, but once you do they can be quite addictive. In addition, these slippery...
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Jul 12, 2016

How can I help? Chatbots offer full customer support with no call waiting

Just as text messaging has become a mainstream form of communication, attention is shifting to the chatbot as the next big thing for information management and customer service.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 11, 2016

Election strengthens LDP as opposition flounders; Abe says talks to begin on constitutional revision

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was all smiles Sunday night after being asked to put flower symbols next to the names of his party’s numerous successful candidates, in a post-election appearance at Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 10, 2016

Is Brexit really inevitable?

Brexit isn't a foregone conclusion. There are three main scenarios that could keep Britain in the EU.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
Jul 9, 2016

Nonstop growth, inept management were constant problems throughout the bj-league's 11 seasons

Second in a two-part series
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 7, 2016

Bush, Howard stand by decision to invade Iraq after U.K. report lacerates Blair

British Prime Minister Tony Blair told U.S. President George W. Bush eight months before the 2003 invasion of Iraq "I will be with you, whatever," and relied on flawed intelligence and legal advice to go to war, a seven-year inquiry concluded on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics / DECISION 2016
Jul 6, 2016

Osaka Ishin struggling ahead of Sunday's Upper House poll

Just before the Upper House election campaign kicked off on June 22, Osaka Ishin no Kai leaders were plotting their schedules for the days leading up to Sunday's poll.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jul 2, 2016

What are Shinzo Abe's real three arrows?

In his campaign for the upcoming Upper House elections, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pussyfooting around his plans to revise the Constitution. He is keeping his cards close to his chest because polls have shown that voters oppose constitutional change. Instead, Abe is calling on voters to keep the faith...
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 27, 2016

Mass shootings are America's new normal

Congress's failure to act over the last 12 years has transformed the U.S. into a nation awash in military hardware.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 26, 2016

Afrirampo leads 'Zero Generation' into adulthood

Anarchic, anything-goes garage-punk band Afrirampo is defined first and foremost by feelings: The feelings that drive the duo as artists and the feelings they evoke in audiences. As the band returns to the live circuit after a six-year absence, guitarist Mayumi "Oni" Saeki is acutely aware of how the...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / COUNTERPOINT
Jun 25, 2016

Shinzo Abe's bait-and-switch campaign strategy

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is doing it again: campaigning on Abenomics while distracting voters' attention away from his real agenda. When he got elected in 2012, Abe ran on Abenomics and kept his revisionist political and historical agenda under wraps, knowing that it does not resonate with voters. He...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 25, 2016

Gary Snyder: Asia's heavy toll on nature

Enter the mind of American poet and scholar Gary Snyder and watch as time pulls back, perspectives shift and an epoch passes in a single blink. His newest book of prose, "The Great Clod," is a series of essays on Asia's ecological history, combining culture and politics in a way that is, unsurprisingly,...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / LEADERS SPEAK
Jun 23, 2016

Upper House poll a chance to preserve pacifist Constitution, says JCP's Shii

As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe steers the nation away from pacifism, the coming Upper House election is a chance to voice opposition to this new course, according to Kazuo Shii, who heads the Japanese Communist Party.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 22, 2016

'Extraction': Mourning the career of Bruce Willis

Will Bruce Willis ever make it back to the fold of respected Hollywood action stars? Judging from his antics in his latest outing, "Extraction," the short answer to that is a huge "No." The long answer involves a private eulogy to an illustrious action career, and a tearful ode to all that was wonderful...
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 20, 2016

Helping foreign students to learn Japanese

The education ministry's proposal to establish hub schools where foreign students can learn Japanese is a good idea, but the plan will hinge on getting good teachers.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 19, 2016

Yuya Uchida on music, media and Madonna

Strolling in late for our meeting, his shoulder-length white hair lightly flowing, trademark cane in hand and sunglasses on, Yuya Uchida may now be in his mid-70s, but he still carries himself with the air of a rock star.
EDITORIALS
Jun 18, 2016

The need for more scholarships

The ruling and opposition parties must follow through on their promises to increase university scholarships and prevent more students from having to take out crippling loans.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2016

U.S. Navy alcohol ban hurting Yokosuka bar operators

The U.S. Navy partially lifted an alcohol ban for sailors in Japan on Thursday but kept in place an order banning them from drinking in bars off base.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami